Sunday December 29 Christmas 1
Click here for simplified daily office prayers
Psalm 93
A psalm of praise to God who is forever and who makes the world secure. “The waters lifted up their voice” means that although the raging sea (the original chaos) is threatening to drown everything, God’s voice is stronger. Appropriate for a Sunday when we celebrate God’s victory in the resurrection of Christ.
The raging sea can be circumstances in our lives, in our inner life, or in the life of the world and we rejoice in the victory of God’s goodness over all the rages of our times.
Psalm 96
Praise to God who really will bring equity (equality) and righteousness (which really means ‘dignity’ and ‘justice’) to the whole of humanity. Every part of the world rejoices at God’s car
Isaiah 62.6–7, 10–12 What’s Isaiah about?
Early Christians interpreted this expectation of release from captivity and of great joy 600 years before Jesus, as if it had been a prophecy of the birth of Jesus.
Matthew 1.18–25 What’s Matthew about?
Joseph has experienced a disaster in his relationship with Mary in that she is pregnant but not by him. In a dream he is told that this disaster in his most important relationship is about to be turned into an event of enormous importance. Dreams and references to the Old Testament guarantee the validity of this revelation.
Matthew quotes a passage from Isaiah in which, 700 years earlier, Isaiah had given a hopeful image to his besieged king: that his enemies would be defeated within nine months—the time in which it would take a young woman to give birth. Early Christians re-interpreted this verse, as was normal practice at that time, as a prediction of Jesus’ virgin birth.
In our time, just as with the king Isaiah was advising, nations put their trust in their own strength, not the generous self-giving available from God. The result is the desperation we see all around. But, like Joseph, in the midst of that desperation we find God transforming everything.
This week’s collect:
Click here to share your thoughts on the web site.